Honda Car Forum

I have a 97 civic EX that still runs great (most of the time). About
twice a year I attempt to start the car and it sounds like it is about
to start but it never catches. If I hold the accelerator to the floor
and try to start it, it starts after about 10 seconds of cranking.
After it starts it sounds like it is running on 3 cylinders until I get
the rpms up to about 5000. Once it hits that number you can actually
hear something pop and the car runs fine.

I had this problem more often about a year ago then I started using a
fuel injector cleaner and it stopped happening. Any ideas how I can fix
this? Based on that I am guessing this is something in the fuel system,
but I haven't been able to narrow it down. Has anybody else had a
similar problem?

Thanks

shaunbowe@gmail.com wrote:
> I have a 97 civic EX that still runs great (most of the time). About
> twice a year I attempt to start the car and it sounds like it is about
> to start but it never catches. If I hold the accelerator to the floor
> and try to start it, it starts after about 10 seconds of cranking.
> After it starts it sounds like it is running on 3 cylinders until I get
> the rpms up to about 5000. Once it hits that number you can actually
> hear something pop and the car runs fine.
>
> I had this problem more often about a year ago then I started using a
> fuel injector cleaner and it stopped happening. Any ideas how I can fix
> this? Based on that I am guessing this is something in the fuel system,
> but I haven't been able to narrow it down. Has anybody else had a
> similar problem?
>
> Thanks
>
=============================================

You had a dribbling injector and you solved it by applying the Honda
solution for "Flooded Engine" (per your owner's manual). You should just
use injector cleaner a couple times a year and the problem will go away.
Nobody ever suggested that before? Gasohol works just about as good.

'Curly'

motsco_ wrote:
> shaunbowe@gmail.com wrote:
> > I have a 97 civic EX that still runs great (most of the time). About
> > twice a year I attempt to start the car and it sounds like it is about
> > to start but it never catches. If I hold the accelerator to the floor
> > and try to start it, it starts after about 10 seconds of cranking.
> > After it starts it sounds like it is running on 3 cylinders until I get
> > the rpms up to about 5000. Once it hits that number you can actually
> > hear something pop and the car runs fine.
> >
> > I had this problem more often about a year ago then I started using a
> > fuel injector cleaner and it stopped happening. Any ideas how I can fix
> > this? Based on that I am guessing this is something in the fuel system,
> > but I haven't been able to narrow it down. Has anybody else had a
> > similar problem?
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> =============================================
>
> You had a dribbling injector and you solved it by applying the Honda
> solution for "Flooded Engine" (per your owner's manual). You should just
> use injector cleaner a couple times a year and the problem will go away.
> Nobody ever suggested that before? Gasohol works just about as good.
>
> 'Curly'

Thanks for the info. I have never been able to find a solution to this,
probably because I was not searching for the right thing.

shaunb...@gmail.com wrote:
> motsco_ wrote:
> > shaunbowe@gmail.com wrote:
> > > I have a 97 civic EX that still runs great (most of the time). About
> > > twice a year I attempt to start the car and it sounds like it is about
> > > to start but it never catches. If I hold the accelerator to the floor
> > > and try to start it, it starts after about 10 seconds of cranking.
> > > After it starts it sounds like it is running on 3 cylinders until I get
> > > the rpms up to about 5000. Once it hits that number you can actually
> > > hear something pop and the car runs fine.
> > >
> > > I had this problem more often about a year ago then I started using a
> > > fuel injector cleaner and it stopped happening. Any ideas how I can fix
> > > this? Based on that I am guessing this is something in the fuel system,
> > > but I haven't been able to narrow it down. Has anybody else had a
> > > similar problem?
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > >
> > =============================================
> >
> > You had a dribbling injector and you solved it by applying the Honda
> > solution for "Flooded Engine" (per your owner's manual). You should just
> > use injector cleaner a couple times a year and the problem will go away.
> > Nobody ever suggested that before? Gasohol works just about as good.
> >
> > 'Curly'
>
> Thanks for the info. I have never been able to find a solution to this,
> probably because I was not searching for the right thing.

After reading some of your other posts I am sure this is the problem.
When it finally did start I remember seeing a large cloud of smoke from
the exhaust as you have said in the past.

In article <1164773024.114720.152160@80g2000cwy.googlegroups. com>,
shaunbowe@gmail.com wrote:

> shaunb...@gmail.com wrote:
> > motsco_ wrote:
> > > shaunbowe@gmail.com wrote:
> > > > I have a 97 civic EX that still runs great (most of the time). About
> > > > twice a year I attempt to start the car and it sounds like it is about
> > > > to start but it never catches. If I hold the accelerator to the floor
> > > > and try to start it, it starts after about 10 seconds of cranking.
> > > > After it starts it sounds like it is running on 3 cylinders until I get
> > > > the rpms up to about 5000. Once it hits that number you can actually
> > > > hear something pop and the car runs fine.
> > > >
> > > > I had this problem more often about a year ago then I started using a
> > > > fuel injector cleaner and it stopped happening. Any ideas how I can fix
> > > > this? Based on that I am guessing this is something in the fuel system,
> > > > but I haven't been able to narrow it down. Has anybody else had a
> > > > similar problem?
> > > >
> > > > Thanks
> > > >
> > > =============================================
> > >
> > > You had a dribbling injector and you solved it by applying the Honda
> > > solution for "Flooded Engine" (per your owner's manual). You should just
> > > use injector cleaner a couple times a year and the problem will go away.
> > > Nobody ever suggested that before? Gasohol works just about as good.
> > >
> > > 'Curly'
> >
> > Thanks for the info. I have never been able to find a solution to this,
> > probably because I was not searching for the right thing.
>
> After reading some of your other posts I am sure this is the problem.
> When it finally did start I remember seeing a large cloud of smoke from
> the exhaust as you have said in the past.

What kind of cloud?

Grey and gasoline odor - Gasoline
White and persistent with no odor - Oil
White and fades with garden hose odor - Coolant

Oil could mean that a valve stem oil seal has broken. Coolant would be
really bad.

Kevin McMurtrie wrote:
> In article <1164773024.114720.152160@80g2000cwy.googlegroups. com>,
> shaunbowe@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> shaunb...@gmail.com wrote:
>>> motsco_ wrote:
>>>> shaunbowe@gmail.com wrote:
>>>>> I have a 97 civic EX that still runs great (most of the time). About
>>>>> twice a year I attempt to start the car and it sounds like it is about
>>>>> to start but it never catches. If I hold the accelerator to the floor
>>>>> and try to start it, it starts after about 10 seconds of cranking.
>>>>> After it starts it sounds like it is running on 3 cylinders until I get
>>>>> the rpms up to about 5000. Once it hits that number you can actually
>>>>> hear something pop and the car runs fine.
>>>>>
>>>>> I had this problem more often about a year ago then I started using a
>>>>> fuel injector cleaner and it stopped happening. Any ideas how I can fix
>>>>> this? Based on that I am guessing this is something in the fuel system,
>>>>> but I haven't been able to narrow it down. Has anybody else had a
>>>>> similar problem?
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>
>>>> =============================================
>>>>
>>>> You had a dribbling injector and you solved it by applying the Honda
>>>> solution for "Flooded Engine" (per your owner's manual). You should just
>>>> use injector cleaner a couple times a year and the problem will go away.
>>>> Nobody ever suggested that before? Gasohol works just about as good.
>>>>
>>>> 'Curly'
>>> Thanks for the info. I have never been able to find a solution to this,
>>> probably because I was not searching for the right thing.
>> After reading some of your other posts I am sure this is the problem.
>> When it finally did start I remember seeing a large cloud of smoke from
>> the exhaust as you have said in the past.
>
> What kind of cloud?
>
> Grey and gasoline odor - Gasoline

gasoline is usually black and sooty

> White and persistent with no odor - Oil

oil's blue and stinks - like oil!

> White and fades with garden hose odor - Coolant

more of a sweet odor - just like the coolant's glycol tastes.

>
> Oil could mean that a valve stem oil seal has broken.

valve stem leakage, even when there are no seals at all, is usually
pretty minor. and it doesn't happen when the engine is standing, only
when operating.

> Coolant would be
> really bad.

indeed - head gasket.

In article <AvmdnVeNs8RGDPDYnZ2dnUVZ_q6dnZ2d@speakeasy.net> ,
jim beam <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:

> Kevin McMurtrie wrote:
> > In article <1164773024.114720.152160@80g2000cwy.googlegroups. com>,
> > shaunbowe@gmail.com wrote:
> >
> >> shaunb...@gmail.com wrote:
> >>> motsco_ wrote:
> >>>> shaunbowe@gmail.com wrote:
> >>>>> I have a 97 civic EX that still runs great (most of the time). About
> >>>>> twice a year I attempt to start the car and it sounds like it is about
> >>>>> to start but it never catches. If I hold the accelerator to the floor
> >>>>> and try to start it, it starts after about 10 seconds of cranking.
> >>>>> After it starts it sounds like it is running on 3 cylinders until I get
> >>>>> the rpms up to about 5000. Once it hits that number you can actually
> >>>>> hear something pop and the car runs fine.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> I had this problem more often about a year ago then I started using a
> >>>>> fuel injector cleaner and it stopped happening. Any ideas how I can fix
> >>>>> this? Based on that I am guessing this is something in the fuel system,
> >>>>> but I haven't been able to narrow it down. Has anybody else had a
> >>>>> similar problem?
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Thanks
> >>>>>
> >>>> =============================================
> >>>>
> >>>> You had a dribbling injector and you solved it by applying the Honda
> >>>> solution for "Flooded Engine" (per your owner's manual). You should just
> >>>> use injector cleaner a couple times a year and the problem will go away.
> >>>> Nobody ever suggested that before? Gasohol works just about as good.
> >>>>
> >>>> 'Curly'
> >>> Thanks for the info. I have never been able to find a solution to this,
> >>> probably because I was not searching for the right thing.
> >> After reading some of your other posts I am sure this is the problem.
> >> When it finally did start I remember seeing a large cloud of smoke from
> >> the exhaust as you have said in the past.
> >
> > What kind of cloud?
> >
> > Grey and gasoline odor - Gasoline
>
> gasoline is usually black and sooty
>
> > White and persistent with no odor - Oil
>
> oil's blue and stinks - like oil!
>
> > White and fades with garden hose odor - Coolant
>
> more of a sweet odor - just like the coolant's glycol tastes.
>
> >
> > Oil could mean that a valve stem oil seal has broken.
>
> valve stem leakage, even when there are no seals at all, is usually
> pretty minor. and it doesn't happen when the engine is standing, only
> when operating.

I've had valve stem oil seals fail. Some engines have small oil pools
around the valve stems so they don't go dry. Those can dump quite a bit
of oil into the cylinders overnight.


> > Coolant would be
> > really bad.
>
> indeed - head gasket.

Kevin McMurtrie wrote:
> In article <AvmdnVeNs8RGDPDYnZ2dnUVZ_q6dnZ2d@speakeasy.net> ,
> jim beam <spamvortex@bad.example.net> wrote:
>
>> Kevin McMurtrie wrote:
>>> In article <1164773024.114720.152160@80g2000cwy.googlegroups. com>,
>>> shaunbowe@gmail.com wrote:
>>>
>>>> shaunb...@gmail.com wrote:
>>>>> motsco_ wrote:
>>>>>> shaunbowe@gmail.com wrote:
>>>>>>> I have a 97 civic EX that still runs great (most of the time). About
>>>>>>> twice a year I attempt to start the car and it sounds like it is about
>>>>>>> to start but it never catches. If I hold the accelerator to the floor
>>>>>>> and try to start it, it starts after about 10 seconds of cranking.
>>>>>>> After it starts it sounds like it is running on 3 cylinders until I get
>>>>>>> the rpms up to about 5000. Once it hits that number you can actually
>>>>>>> hear something pop and the car runs fine.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I had this problem more often about a year ago then I started using a
>>>>>>> fuel injector cleaner and it stopped happening. Any ideas how I can fix
>>>>>>> this? Based on that I am guessing this is something in the fuel system,
>>>>>>> but I haven't been able to narrow it down. Has anybody else had a
>>>>>>> similar problem?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> =============================================
>>>>>>
>>>>>> You had a dribbling injector and you solved it by applying the Honda
>>>>>> solution for "Flooded Engine" (per your owner's manual). You should just
>>>>>> use injector cleaner a couple times a year and the problem will go away.
>>>>>> Nobody ever suggested that before? Gasohol works just about as good.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 'Curly'
>>>>> Thanks for the info. I have never been able to find a solution to this,
>>>>> probably because I was not searching for the right thing.
>>>> After reading some of your other posts I am sure this is the problem.
>>>> When it finally did start I remember seeing a large cloud of smoke from
>>>> the exhaust as you have said in the past.
>>> What kind of cloud?
>>>
>>> Grey and gasoline odor - Gasoline
>> gasoline is usually black and sooty
>>
>>> White and persistent with no odor - Oil
>> oil's blue and stinks - like oil!
>>
>>> White and fades with garden hose odor - Coolant
>> more of a sweet odor - just like the coolant's glycol tastes.
>>
>>> Oil could mean that a valve stem oil seal has broken.
>> valve stem leakage, even when there are no seals at all, is usually
>> pretty minor. and it doesn't happen when the engine is standing, only
>> when operating.
>
> I've had valve stem oil seals fail. Some engines have small oil pools
> around the valve stems so they don't go dry. Those can dump quite a bit
> of oil into the cylinders overnight.

sure, that's true, but not civics.

>
>
>>> Coolant would be
>>> really bad.
>> indeed - head gasket.